The present invention relates to can decorating apparatus, to inking arrangements for such apparatus, and particularly to replacing one inking arrangement with another, primarily for facilitating reconfiguring each inking arrangement while the other one is in use for causing minimal down time of the can decorator.
An inking arrangement for a can decorating apparatus includes several individual inkers which are mounted around a rotatable blanket cylinder for applying various color ink patterns to respective blankets on the blanket cylinder. That cylinder in turn transfers the ink color patterns to individual cans presented for decoration by a can handling apparatus. Examples of a continuous motion can printing apparatus of this type are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,766,851 and 5,111,742, incorporated herein by reference. A typical can decorating apparatus is operated to decorate one plurality of cans with one set of ink patterns and to then decorate a succeeding plurality of cans with a different set of ink patterns. As different can decorating patterns may use different ink colors and different ink patterns, the inkers and the blanket cylinder must be reconfigured, i.e. cleaned and/or changed to accommodate the new decorative pattern for the succeeding plurality of cans.
A typical can decorating apparatus includes a single array of inkers inking a single blanket cylinder. When a second plurality of cans is to be printed with a different pattern than was printed on a first plurality of cans, the can decorating apparatus is halted, the individual inkers are cleaned, new or different inks and colors are applied, and the blankets on the blanket cylinder are replaced with new blankets for receiving the new inking patterns. The inking arrangement is then ready for decorating the second plurality of cans. Reconfiguring an inking arrangement in a can decorating apparatus for such a labeling change takes about 22 minutes. During this down time, no cans are being decorated. Changeovers for different can colors and decorations may occur several times during a work day, each with the above noted down time.
An attempt was made in the art to replace an inking arrangement that had been in use with a spare inking arrangement adjacent to the decorating apparatus. Upon conclusion of decoration of one plurality of cans, the first inking arrangement with the blanket cylinder and the inkers was moved out of the operating position and away from the can handling apparatus and another inking arrangement was moved into the operating position at the can handling apparatus for enabling rapid restart of the inking. In particular, the inventor hereof is aware of one prior apparatus that moved inking arrangements in and out of position at the can handling apparatus along a system of tracks with a turntable near the can handling apparatus for positioning each arrangement for inking. It is believed that this prior apparatus was found unacceptable in practice primarily because of the complexity of the track system and the exchange of inkers, and this track system for inking arrangement substitution has been discontinued.
A can decorating installation often includes several can decorating apparatus arranged near to each other. To ease servicing and minimize use of floor space, the apparatus are placed as close together as practicable. An installation using several can decorating apparatus, each with more than one inking arrangement, will take up considerable space. Space is needed between neighboring apparatus so that each inking arrangement can be easily reconfigured for another decorating job. Reducing the space required for several apparatus is desirable.